Docking station and electronic apparatus using the same

ABSTRACT

A docking station and an electronic apparatus using the same are provided. The electronic apparatus includes a portable computer and a docking station. The docking station includes a body, a base and a connector, and the portable computer is detachably connected to the docking station. The base is movably connected to the body. The connector disposed on the base is movable with the base relative to the body. The body is electrically connected to the portable computer via the connector, and thus the portable computer can move relative to the docking station.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a divisional application of and claims prioritybenefit of an U.S. application Ser. No. 13/087,382, filed on Apr. 15,2011, now pending, which claims the priority benefit of U.S. provisionalapplication Ser. No. 61/349,215, filed on May 28, 2010. The entirety ofeach of the above-mentioned patent applications is hereby incorporatedby reference herein and made a part of specification.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a docking station and an electronic deviceusing the same and, more particularly, to a docking station with amovable connector and an electronic device using the same.

2. Description of the Related Art

Comparing with a conventional desktop computer, a portable computer islight, small, and thin. It is portable to facilitate the user operatingthe computer under various environments. However, the portable computerlacks expansibility due to its small size.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A docking station is provided for a portable computer to detachablyconnect to and allow the portable computer to move with a base.

The docking station includes a body, a base and a connector. The base ismovably connected to the body, and the connector is disposed at the baseto move with the base relative to the body. The body is electricallyconnected to the portable computer via the connector to allow theportable computer to move relative to the docking station.

An electronic apparatus is provided. The portable computer is detachablyconnected to the docking station and moves relative to the dockingstation.

The electronic apparatus includes a portable computer and a dockingstation. The docking station is adapted for the portable computer todetachably connect thereto, and it includes a body, a base and aconnector. The base is coupled to the body. The connector is disposed atthe base to move with the base relative to the body. The body iselectrically connected to the portable computer via the connector toallow the portable computer to move relative to the body.

As stated above, the connector is disposed at the base of the dockingstation for the portable computer to electrically connect thereto. Thedocking station allows the base to move relative to the body, and theportable computer moves relative to the body of the docking station viathe base. Thus, the portable computer can expand its function via thedocking station, and the user can also adjust the state and the viewingangle of the portable computer according to different requirements.

These and other features, aspects and advantages of the presentinvention will become better understood with regard to the followingdescription, appended claims, and accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a schematic diagram showing an electronic apparatus in afirst embodiment;

FIG. 1B and FIG. 1C are schematic diagrams showing the electronicapparatus in FIG. 1A in different states, respectively;

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an electronic apparatus in FIG. 1Ain another state;

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing an electronic apparatus in asecond embodiment;

FIG. 4A is a schematic diagram showing an electronic apparatus in athird embodiment; and

FIG. 4B is a schematic diagram showing an electronic apparatus in FIG.4A in another state.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1A is a schematic diagram showing an electronic apparatus in afirst embodiment. FIG. 1B and FIG. 1C are schematic diagrams showing anelectronic apparatus in FIG. 1A in different states, respectively.

Please refer to FIG. 1A to FIG. 1C, in the embodiment, the electronicapparatus 10 includes a portable computer 100 and a docking station 200.The portable computer 100 may be a tablet computer or a portablecomputer with independent operation and display functions, which is notlimited herein. The docking station 200 allows the portable computer 100to be detachably connected thereto, and thus it can be used as anextension port of the portable computer 100 to improve the expandabilityand convenience of the portable computer 100 for the users.

In the embodiment, the portable computer 100 includes a display panel110. The docking station 200 includes a body 210, a base 220 and aconnector 230. The base 220 is movably connected to the body 210, andthe connector 230 is disposed at the base 220. When the portablecomputer 100 is connected to the base 220 of the docking station 200 viathe connector 230, the portable computer 100 can move relative to thebody 210 via the base 220. That is, the position (or the view angle) ofthe portable computer 100 disposed at the docking station 200 can beadjusted correspondingly according to the operating state and the users'requirements. Thus, it is avoided that the portable computer 100disposed at the docking station 200 is fixed at the docking station 200and is not movable.

In detail, the base 220 includes a hinge 222 connected to the body 210to make the base 220 rotate relative to the body 210, and make theportable computer 100 disposed thereon move between an open state (shownin FIG. 1B) and a close state (shown in FIG. 1C) relative to the dockingstation 200. Moreover, the docking station 200 further includes aphysical input module 240, such as a keyboard module or a touch padmodule disposed at the body 210 and multiple connecting ports 250, suchas a power connecting port, a sound source connecting port or auniversal serial bus (USB) connecting port. Consequently, after theportable computer 100 is disposed at the docking station 200 along theassembly direction D1 parallel to the display panel 110, the portablecomputer 100 can include electrical or signal communication withperipheral devices (not shown) to support or expand the portablecomputer 100.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an electronic apparatus in FIG. 1Ain another state. Please refer to FIG. 1C and FIG. 2. In the embodimentof FIG. 1C, when the portable computer 100 is at the close staterelative to the docking station 200, the display panel 110 (shown inFIG. 1A) faces the body 210 of the docking station 200. However, in theembodiment in FIG. 2, since the connector 230 at the base 220 is amulti-direction connector in the close state as shown in FIG. 1C, thedisplay panel 110 of the portable computer 100 can back towards the body210 of the docking station 200 according to the operation environment,so as to expand the application scope of the portable computer 100.

Moreover, please refer to FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B, in order to connect theportable computer 100 to the connector 230 of the docking station 200more smoothly, the base 220 further includes a fixing part 224, and thefixing part 224 holds the portable computer 100 along the fixingdirection D2 vertical to the display panel 110. For example, in theembodiment, the base 220 of the docking station 200 is a concaveportion, the fixing part 224 is two sidewalls of the concave portion,and the connector 230 is at the bottom of the concave portion.Consequently, when the portable computer 100 is connected to theconnector 230, the sidewalls of the concave portion hold the portablecomputer 100 along the direction D2 to make the portable computer 100embedded into the base 220.

The fixing structure between the base and the portable computer is notlimited. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing an electronic apparatusin a second embodiment. Please refer to FIG. 3, the difference betweenthe embodiment in FIG. 3 and the embodiments above is that the base 320of the docking station 300 of the electronic apparatus 20 includes afirst element 320A and a second element 320B. The first element 320Aincludes a hinge 320A1, which is the same as the hinge 222 in the aboveembodiment, to allow the first element 320A to rotate relative to thebody 310. Moreover, the connector 230 is disposed at the second element320B, and the second element 320B is movably connected to the firstelement 320A. Consequently, the portable computer 100 is connected tothe second element 320B along the assembly direction D3 parallel to thedisplay panel 110, and the fixing part 324 of the second element 320Bholds the portable computer along the fixing direction D4 parallel tothe display panel 110 (the direction D3 is vertical to the directionD4).

In other word, the portable computer 100 in the embodiment can berotated and slid relative to the docking station 300 via the firstelement 320A and the second element 320B with different movingdimensions. The second element 320B can slide along the first element320A via a slide rail or other structures, which is not limited. Forexample, the portable computer may also be fixed at the base via amagnetic structure.

FIG. 4A is a schematic diagram showing an electronic apparatus in athird embodiment. FIG. 4B is a schematic diagram showing an electronicapparatus in another state in FIG. 4A. please refer to FIG. 4A and FIG.4B, the difference between the third embodiment and the aboveembodiments is that the base 420 of the docking station 400 of theelectronic apparatus 30 includes a third element 420A and a fourthelement 420B, and the third element 420A includes a hinge 420A1connected to the body 410 to allow the third element 420A to rotatealong the direction D5 relative to the body 410. Furthermore, the fourthelement 420B is coupled to one end of the third element 420A away fromthe hinge 420A1 to allow the fourth element 420B to rotate along thedirection D6 relative to the third element 420A. The direction D5 isvertical to the direction D6. Thus, when the portable computer 100 isconnected to the fourth element 420B along the direction vertical to thedisplay panel 110, the portable computer 100 can rotate relative to thebody 410 of the docking station 400 at different moving dimensions viathe axial direction D5 and the axial direction D6, so as to meetrequirements of the users under different environments.

In sum, in the embodiments above, the electronic apparatus iselectrically connected to the portable computer via the base which canmove relative to the body, and thus the function of the portablecomputer is expanded via the docking station. Furthermore, the operatingstate and the view angle of the portable computer can be adjustedaccording to different usage requirements of the users, which is moreconvenience and comfort in using.

Although the present invention has been described in considerable detailwith reference to certain preferred embodiments thereof, the disclosureis not for limiting the scope of the invention. Persons having ordinaryskill in the art may make various modifications and changes withoutdeparting from the scope. Therefore, the scope of the appended claimsshould not be limited to the description of the preferred embodimentsdescribed above.

What is claimed is:
 1. A docking station for a portable computer to bedetachably connected to, wherein the portable computer includes adisplay panel, the docking station comprising: a body; a base, movablyconnected to the body, comprising: a third element having a hinge,wherein the hinge is connected to the body for the base to be rotatedalong a first axis on a longitudinal side edge of the body, and for theportable computer rotating relative to the docking station to be an openstate or a close state; and a fourth element pivotally connected to anend of the third element away from the hinge; and a connector disposedat the fourth element to move with the base relative to the body,wherein when the portable computer is removably attached to theconnector, the body is electrically connected to a center area of abottom wall opposed to the display panel of the portable computer viathe connector, the portable computer and the fourth element rotaterelative to the body via the third element and the portable computerrotates relative to the third element via the fourth element along asecond axis which is vertical to the first axis.
 2. The docking stationaccording to claim 1, wherein the portable computer is connected to thefourth element along a direction vertical to the display panel.
 3. Thedocking station according to claim 1, wherein the portable computer is atablet computer, and the docking station further comprises a physicalinput module disposed at the body.
 4. An electronic apparatus,comprising: a portable computer including a display panel; and a dockingstation detachably connected to the portable computer, wherein thedocking station includes: a body; a base, coupled to the body,comprising: a third element including a hinge, wherein the hinge isconnected to the body to make the base rotate relative to the body alonga first axis on a longitudinal side edge of the body, and the portablecomputer rotate relative to the docking station to be an open state or aclose state; and a fourth element pivotally connected to an end of thethird element away from the hinge; and a connector disposed at thefourth element to move with the base relative to the body, wherein whenthe portable computer is removably attached to the connector, the bodyis electrically connected to a center area of a bottom wall opposed tothe display panel of the portable computer via the connector, theportable computer and the fourth element rotate relative to the body viathe third element and the portable computer rotates relative to thethird element via the fourth element along a second axis which isvertical to the first axis.
 5. The electronic apparatus according toclaim 4, wherein the portable computer is connected to the fourthelement along a direction vertical to the display panel.
 6. Theelectronic apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the portable computeris a tablet computer, and the docking station further comprises aphysical input module disposed at the body.